New York Giants' Blueprint for Success

It’s believed that the Giants are primed for big things in 2009. The division champs are facing an interesting dilemma now that Plaxico Burress is gone. It was a known fact that Plax was Eli's safety valve in big play situations. 

Sometimes Eli struggled with trying to force the ball to Plaxico. Even with that in mind, the real key to the Giants offense is Brandon Jacobs. With Jacobs in the backfield it forces teams to add that seventh or eighth man to the line of scrimmage. Look for the giants to run out of allot of tight formations during the year, and for Kevin Boss to take advantage of the middle of the field.

The absence of Burress should help Boss in becoming a popular candidate for Manning. Don’t be surprised to even see the tight end split out a lot in their many passing situations. Still, the Giants must continue to remain a balanced offensive team. If Eli Manning is throwing 40-50 passes a game in the wind at the Meadowlands, it's safe to say the team will struggle.

Moving over to the defensive side of the ball, it’s interesting what the defensive scheme will be used now that Steve Spagnoulo is in St. Louis. Putting to use what he learned from his mentor and Eagles defensive ace Jim Johnson, Spags transformed the giants into a pressure defense.

The loss of Osi Umenyiora last year really came to the play at the end of the season when the Giants defense tired out. The return of Osi will force teams to bring in an extra tight end or full back to help in dealing with him or Justin Tuck on the other side. Expect the giants to still be a steady blitz team though, especially with the addition of linebacker Michael Boley.

Finally a close eye must be kept on the aging middle linebacker Antonio Pierce who struggled down the stretch last year. Pierce is a solid linebacker and is very good against the run, but struggles in the passing game. Look for the Giants to use Pierce in allot of zone coverages during passing situations; at 30-years-old his ability to keep up with backs and receivers in man-to-man situations could be difficult.